CineScope
Sean McClory picture

Sean McClory

Acting
Known For

79 Years Old

Sean McClory was born in Dublin, Ireland, but spent his early life in Galway. He was the son of Hugh Patrick, an architect and civil engineer, and Mary Margaret Ball, who had been a model. Sean decided to become an actor and joined Dublin's renowned Abbey Theater (also known as the National Theater of Ireland, opened in 1904). He rose through the ranks playing in productions of the works of such authors as William Butler Yeats and George Bernard Shaw, and soon began to play leads mostly in comedies (popular through most of the 1940s and into the 1950s). When comedies began to fade from the theater after World War II, McClory turned an eye toward film. In early 1947 he decided to make the jump to America and break into Hollywood. His first roles were that of a staple in American films: the Irish cop, which he played in two of the Dick Tracy series in 1947. In 1949 he signed a short contract with 20th Century-Fox. By 1950 he was showing up in more notable films - though uncredited, particularly in The Glass Menagerie (1950). Within a year McClory's talents were being showcased in various small feature roles. John Ford finally began casting - a painstaking process for the finicky director - for his long conceived The Quiet Man (1952) and chose McClory for a small but showy part, in which he was seen throughout the film feature with Charles B. Fitzsimons, the younger brother of the film's star, Maureen O'Hara, playing an Irish villager. Although some of the cast were familiar members of the "John Ford Stock Company", many roles were filled by actual Irish villagers (the film was shot on location) and included a generous helping of Abbey Theater alumni: the Shields brothers (Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields) and Jack MacGowran, in addition to O'Hara McClory. Ford wanted him for roles in several of his subsequent films, however McClory's busy film and TV schedule only allowed him to accept roles in two other Ford films, The Long Gray Line and Cheyenne Autumn. McClory had a cultured, neutral Irish brogue that fit well in small- or big-screen performances, unlike such Irish actors as Barry Fitzgerald who, though very effective and beloved, had a thick brogue that kept him forever cast as an Irishman. As a result, McClory was much more at home in American TV and had many memorable roles from 1953 onward, appearing in a gamut of episodic TV in addition to his feature film work. However, it was his frequent appearances on the small screen that enabled McClory to stand out in viewers' memories, especially in a range of western and adventure series (in which he played a good sprinkling of Irish characters) well into the 1970s. Though not as busy in the 1980s as he was in the '70s, one role in which he truly stood out was in an adaptation by John Huston of Irish writer James Joyce's famous 1907 short story "The Dead" made in 1987 (The Dead (1987)), his final film appearance. McClory's role as Mr. Grace was not a character in the original story but was created by Huston and his son Tony Huston to provide McClory with a reading of the medieval Irish poem "Young Donal", which was very effective to the mood of this look at Irish family remembrance.

Born

Dublin, Ireland on 8th March 1924

Died

10th December 2003

All Credits

Lassie Image
Lassie
Matinee Theater Image
Matinee Theater
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Image
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Graham Clague
The High Chaparral Image
The High Chaparral
Sandy McIntire
Columbo Image
Columbo
Captain
The Rifleman Image
The Rifleman
Surfside 6 Image
Surfside 6
Perry Mason Image
Perry Mason
Hannibal Harvey
Perry Mason Image
Perry Mason
Harry Fothergill
Perry Mason Image
Perry Mason
Fred Wenzel
Mannix Image
Mannix
No Image
Four Star Playhouse
Robert Upton
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Image
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
Murder, She Wrote Image
Murder, She Wrote
Ross Barber
Have Gun, Will Travel Image
Have Gun, Will Travel
The DuPont Show with June Allyson Image
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Father Ray
Rawhide Image
Rawhide
Finn
Thriller Image
Thriller
Patrick Galt
Thriller Image
Thriller
Sean O'Danagh
The Detectives Image
The Detectives
Daniel Boone Image
Daniel Boone
Ephron Marsh
Daniel Boone Image
Daniel Boone
Bartender
Daniel Boone Image
Daniel Boone
Liam O'Hara
Adventures in Paradise Image
Adventures in Paradise
Shay
Adventures in Paradise Image
Adventures in Paradise
Mike Milligan
Telephone Time Image
Telephone Time
Family Affair Image
Family Affair
The Outer Limits Image
The Outer Limits
Karl Emmet
Lancer Image
Lancer
No Image
General Electric True
The Outcasts Image
The Outcasts
Wanted: Dead or Alive Image
Wanted: Dead or Alive
'Doc' Phillips
Battlestar Galactica Image
Battlestar Galactica
Assault 9
Honey West Image
Honey West
Insurance Investigator Booth
Tarzan Image
Tarzan
No Image
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Climax! Image
Climax!
Mark Yorke
The Adventures of Jim Bowie Image
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
The Californians Image
The Californians
Jack McGivern
The Islanders Image
The Islanders
Quinn
Frontier Image
Frontier
The Guns of Will Sonnett Image
The Guns of Will Sonnett
No Image
Lux Video Theatre
Albert
Bronco Image
Bronco
Richard Diamond, Private Detective Image
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Ted O'Malley
Falcon Crest Image
Falcon Crest
Frank O'Neal
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers Image
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
Gunsmoke Image
Gunsmoke
Sham
Gunsmoke Image
Gunsmoke
Clete Bolden
The Beverly Hillbillies Image
The Beverly Hillbillies
One Step Beyond Image
One Step Beyond
Michael Barry
The Great Adventure Image
The Great Adventure
Major Carlton
The Virginian Image
The Virginian
Cobb
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Image
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Irish Bar Patron
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Image
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Brother Gerard
Lost in Space Image
Lost in Space
Hamish
The Dakotas Image
The Dakotas
Kate McShane Image
Kate McShane
Pat McShane
The 20th Century Fox Hour Image
The 20th Century Fox Hour
The Swamp Fox Image
The Swamp Fox
Checkmate Image
Checkmate
Stamper
Bring 'Em Back Alive Image
Bring 'Em Back Alive
S.W.A.T. Image
S.W.A.T.
Cavalcade of America Image
Cavalcade of America
Andrew Johnson
General Electric Theater Image
General Electric Theater
The Quiet Man Image
The Quiet Man
Owen Glynn
Niagara Image
Niagara
Sam (uncredited)
Them! Image
Them!
Maj. Kibbee
The Long Gray Line Image
The Long Gray Line
Dinny Maher
Cheyenne Autumn Image
Cheyenne Autumn
Dr. O'Carberry
The Dead Image
The Dead
Mr. Grace
Bandolero! Image
Bandolero!
Robbie O'Hare
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel Image
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
Jock
Dick Tracy's Dilemma Image
Dick Tracy's Dilemma
Officer Dillon (uncredited)
Man in the Attic Image
Man in the Attic
Constable #1
The Gnome-Mobile Image
The Gnome-Mobile
Horatio Quaxton
Body Bags Image
Body Bags
Minister
Island in the Sky Image
Island in the Sky
Frank Lovatt, Dooley's co-pilot
Storm Warning Image
Storm Warning
Shore
The Guns of Fort Petticoat Image
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
Emmett Kettle
The King's Thief Image
The King's Thief
Sheldon
The Happiest Millionaire Image
The Happiest Millionaire
Police Sgt.
Les Miserables Image
Les Miserables
Bamtasbois (uncredited)
Diane Image
Diane
Count Michel Montgomery
Plunder of the Sun Image
Plunder of the Sun
Jefferson
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome Image
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
Officer Carney (uncredited)
Follow Me, Boys! Image
Follow Me, Boys!
Edward White, Sr.
The King's Pirate Image
The King's Pirate
Sparkes
My Chauffeur Image
My Chauffeur
O'Brien
Moonfleet Image
Moonfleet
Elzevir Block
Anne of the Indies Image
Anne of the Indies
Hackett
The Day of the Wolves Image
The Day of the Wolves
The Sheriff
Roughshod Image
Roughshod
Fowler (as Shawn McGlory)
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady Image
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
James Moore
Charade Image
Charade
Jack Stuydevant
Valley of the Dragons Image
Valley of the Dragons
Michael Denning
Young Harry Houdini Image
Young Harry Houdini
Sean O'Casey
Roller Boogie Image
Roller Boogie
Jammer Delany
Beyond Glory Image
Beyond Glory
Barney
Lorna Doone Image
Lorna Doone
Charleworth Doone
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe Image
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
Codge Collier
Kate McShane Image
Kate McShane
Pat McShane
Ring of Fear Image
Ring of Fear
Dublin O'Malley
No Image
The Child
Reverend Smith
I Cover the Underworld Image
I Cover the Underworld
Gunner O'Hara / John O'Hara